London Fog Cake with Earl Grey (Printable)
Delicate tea-infused cake with Earl Grey and lavender, layered with creamy vanilla frosting.
# What You Need:
→ For the Cake
01 - 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
02 - 4 Earl Grey tea bags
03 - 2 tsp dried culinary lavender
04 - 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tsp baking powder
06 - ½ tsp baking soda
07 - ½ tsp salt
08 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
09 - 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
10 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 1 tbsp vanilla extract
→ For the Lavender Syrup
12 - ¼ cup (60 ml) water
13 - ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
14 - 1 tsp dried culinary lavender
→ For the Earl Grey Frosting
15 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
16 - 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
17 - 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) infused milk (reserved from cake step)
18 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming without boiling. Add Earl Grey tea bags and 2 tsp lavender; steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, strain out lavender, and let cool completely. Reserve 2–3 tbsp for frosting; use remainder for cake batter.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and infused milk, beginning and ending with flour, mixing just until combined. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 25–30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
03 - Combine water, sugar, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; steep 10 minutes, strain, and cool completely.
04 - Beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla and salt. Beat in reserved infused milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
05 - Brush cooled cake layers with lavender syrup. Place one cake layer on serving plate, spread with frosting. Top with second layer, frost top and sides. Garnish with additional dried lavender if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The Earl Grey infusion creates this subtle bergamot perfume that makes people pause and ask whats different
- Lavender syrup keeps every bite impossibly moist without making the cake soggy
- It looks like a fancy bakery cake but comes together with basic baking skills
02 -
- Over-steeping the milk can make the cake taste bitter, so set a timer for exactly 15 minutes
- The cakes must be completely cool before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt and slide right off
- Lining your pans with parchment is essential because this cakes delicate texture can stick
03 -
- Grind a teaspoon of Earl Grey leaves into the dry ingredients if you want a more pronounced tea flavor
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here theyre the difference between dense and airy